Assessing Community Safety in the Governorate of Hebron

In order to implement an effective security strategy plan in the Governorate of Hebron, it is necessary for security providers be able to identify the reasons for insecurity, and the lack of community safety. For this reason, the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of the Armed Forces (DCAF), in collaboration with the Ramallah-based Human Rights and Democracy Media-Centre (SHAMS), conducted focus group discussions with Palestinian community safety stakeholders. The aim of these discussions was to draw out the perceptions of key stakeholders regarding the security situation in Hebron

This report highlights these discussions and presents the findings discussed and formulated by the participants themselves. The findings include:

safety deficit due the unstable political and socio-economic satiation in the governorate,

domestic insecurity and violence against women

accountability challenges of tribal reconciliation mechanisms, and

the lack of coordination between formal and informal security and justice institutions.

This reports aims to provide a set of detailed recommendations to the Palestinian authorities in charge of developing and implementing crime prevention and community safety strategies at governorate and national level. It also hopes to provide an informed input to stakeholders in Hebron who are involved in implementing the objectives outlined in the Hebron Community Safety Plan. Finally, it aims to help Palestinian citizens and decision-makers better understand the challenges related to crime prevention and community safety, with a focus on specific issues such as violence against women.